Monday, April 22, 2013

Once again we were able to enjoy a movie with three of our favorite things: God, Family and Sports.

Is there anything else to life than those three things on the weekends? Not at my nest.

My husband is telling everyone about this movie. He loved it. We all loved it, but if Daddy Crow is singing praises, you know its good. It was awesome to see familiar faces in this movie and to see how they come together for the glory of God to Ring the Bell.

I am so excited that I get to help give away a copy of Ring the Bell to one of my readers.

Who wants it? Main entry question is who will you watch this movie with?

Enter on the easy Rafflecopter form below, bonus entries are available!

About Ring the Bell:
Ring The Bell shares the story of a slick, big city sports agent Rob Decker who seems to have it all. But on his latest mission to sign a high school baseball superstar, Rob becomes stranded in a small town where the simplicity of life—and the faith of the people—stand in stark contrast to his own fast-paced, win-at-all-costs mindset. Torn between these two worlds, will Rob have the courage to let faith transform his life? This heartwarming story of redemption is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family.

Ring The Bell features a host of well-known Christian music artists, such as Mark Hall along with his band Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Matthew West, all who play a role in this inspirational drama. Several former and current Major League Baseball all-stars are also featured in the film: ESPN analysts John Kruk and Rick Sutcliffe (a former Cy Young Award winner), along with Ben Zobrist.
This family-friendly movie was produced by Mark Miller, Beach Street Records' founder and Casting Crowns’ producer. Miller, who is also the lead singer and founder of country music group Sawyer Brown, co-wrote the script with Thomas Weber and Weber directed the production.

Friday, April 19, 2013

What an emotional question if you are an Oklahoman and if you have an memory at all of that tragic event. The first act of terrorism on American soil killing 168 of our own and then to find out that an American citizen, an American soldier who had defended our country, actually had committed this act. The acts that followed the bombing give me a great sense of pride and make me so proud to call Oklahoma home! Oklahomans from all over the state joined in on the rescue efforts, those who couldn't gave blood, sent supplies, and prayed!

So, where was I? In Weatherford, OK. I was in my first semester of my senior year at SWOSU. I had just finished up my eight o'clock class and had a conference with my Grammar professor, yes I had Grammar at one time in my life. The conference was over my senior thesis, Communication in Management. The meeting did not take that long, I'm not sure why. I was back in my dorm room by 9:30, those of us students lucky to have any reception or cable on our TV's were glued to our sets, the one's that didn't have TV's were glued to our sets. We were in awe. I don't know the stats, but probably a lot of students missed classes the remainder of the day as news filtered in. We were 70 miles west of the site. For those of us who didn't know someone in the Murrah Building, we knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone.

It was a real awakening moment for a college senior, knowing that my life was getting ready to start and that such evil was out there. I still was very protected and naive. I remember driving back home to Wilson from Weatherford on the weekends through El Reno on I-40, knowing that was where Timothy McVeigh was, and seeing the sign "Warning Hitchhikers may be escaped Inmates".

I finally visited the Oklahoma City Memorial eight years ago. It is beautiful, it is peaceful- but it is a complete shame that we had to build such a place. I will never forget that tragic day 18 years ago today.A day that stands out in the minds of all Oklahomans and for me shows just how much this nation needs God!

Where were you?

Note: This is a repost from The 4-Crow's 4/19/2010 and again 4/19/2012, with only the years that have passed updated. I think it is important to REVISIT and REMEMBER and of course NEVER FORGET.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

We read a lot of books. In fact, my kindergarten daughter has her own shelf on Goodreads where I keep track of what we read, so I can write them down at the end of the month on her Pizza Hut Book It! sheet. The Book It! program has ended for the year and now she must read 10 books a week to earn

ICE CREAM. Scoop by scoop, topping by topping. Last night we read ALL 10 for the week. Including the not yet released book below.

The whale tells his side of the story. The whale? Why not? Great concept for telling Bible stories. Even though my six year old knew the story, she really was captivated by this tale.

Brought to you by B&H Kids and available May 1, 2013, this is just the first in a series! Other books available will include Hey God, Can You Stop the Rain so I Can Get off Noah's Smelly Ark? and Hey God, I'm Having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses! .

This book is just $9.99 and will entertain you and your kids! I get to give a copy to one of my readers. Who wants it? Enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

About the Book:

Oh sure, we've all heard the story of Jonah and the Whale a hundred times. But have we heard it from the perspective of the whale who experienced that history-making event? Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up! Imagine how that great sea creature from the incident might tell his side of the story, helping kids ages 4 to 8 discover a creative way of learning about that guy who was supposed to go to Ninevah. The "Parent Connection" feature (inside the book) will help moms and dads take the story further with scripture references and tips on how to talk with their children about what really happened.

About the Author:

Troy Schmidt has writing and video production credits ranging from assignments with Disney (The Mickey Mouse Club) and Nickelodeon to Max Lucado's Hermie franchise. He is currently the lead writer for The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on the Game Show Network. Troy and his wife have three sons.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Wow! This has been my discovery year. My word of the year has been FAMILY. Never did I imagine just four months into the year the challenges, adventures, and doors God would put before me. One of the things that I will share is that taking a stand for what you believe in, even if it means walking away from something that you love, you will probably find that, that love wasn't right for you after all. There truly is a season for everything. Vague, I know, but to truly BE who God wants me to be one of the decisions I have had to recently make is that I will no longer be writing as Mrs. Hart at The RHOK.

What God is asking me to be right now, is a reflection upon HIM in all I do, say, portray and write. I am accountable to Him for all of my actions and any actions linked to my name and my family's from this moment forward. Strong yes, but just like the disclosures on my blog, I stand behind and only recommend what I believe is good and family oriented. I am not saying I am perfect or holier than thou, far from it. I am saved by grace, just like everyone else.

As you all know, I love bringing home family movies into my home. A time to put away the electronics and a time to sit and enjoy each others company. We had the opportunity to review this movie at the perfect time. I'm not going to give too much away, but just know, This is Our Time couldn't have came at a better time.

I hope that it also comes at a good time for one of my readers.

Who wants a copy of their own? Enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

About This Is Our Time:

The movie tells the interwoven stories of Luke (T.J. Dalrymple) and Alé (Erin Bethea), who marry right after school and move to India to serve as missionaries for Embrace A Village, a ministry that cares for those afflicted with leprosy and their families; aspiring financier Catherine (Kate Cobb), who joins a prestigious financial institution determined to make an impact on corporate America; Ryder (Matthew Florida), who lands an impressive job in social media and can’t wait to use the powerful medium for a greater good; and Ethan (Shawn-Caulin Young,) seemingly the odd man out, who struggles to find his God-given-purpose and feels sidelined by God.

"What they all come to learn is that it never really was their time,” Arnold said. “It always was, always is, God’s time.”

This Is Our Time is presented by Pure Flix
Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday on April 16, 2013. It will be available nationwide at Family Christian Stores and most Christian online and brick-and-mortar retail stores nationwide.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Today, April 11th, begins the SEMI-FINALS of Season 2 of GSN's The American Bible Challenge!!!

Have you been watching? Are you ready to jump in and take the challenge even further?

Troy Schmidt has released a daily reader based on The American Bible Challenge designed to take us deeper into the questions from the show and the life applications that they inspire. The consulting producer for the show and also a campus pastor of First Baptist Church Windermere, Troy is not a stranger to TV. He has written for shows that many of us are familiar with, including Dennis the Menace, Heathcliff, Flinstone Kids and The Mickey Mouse Club. He also adapted Max Lucado's Hermie the Common Caterpillar into video and books.

Using many of the questions from the first season as a guide, each day features an inspiring lesson along with five challenging Bible questions to take you deeper into Scripture. The book guides the reader through nine weeks of study and encouragement—the same length of time as a season of The American Bible Challenge—with over three hundred questions to test your Bible knowledge. And don’t worry, all the answers are in the back.

The American Bible Challenge Daily Reader includes questions to deepen your knowledge and to change your life. My family has loved this book. Would yours? One of my readers is going to get their very own copy. All you have to do is answer the following question on the easy Rafflecopter form below. Bonus entries are available.

Are you ready to jump in and take the Bible challenge one step further?

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Imagination. Kid's play. Siblings getting along for more than five minutes to accomplish a goal of creativity while their Nana, Grandma, Moma and Daddy look on. A true blissful time that was experience by my family this past Saturday. All electronic devices were put away, the only one even present was an iPod with a 10% battery life confiscated from my son and used by me to capture a few pics and videos that will be shown on this post and used for memories in years to come.

The little sister convinced her older brother to build a fairy house. He didn't argue. For once. She really will remember their teamwork forever and he probably doesn't even know it now. They gathered sticks. She finally found the right piece of ground to make them stand in. Even though we have had an inch or so of rain, our ground is still so hard from being starved of moisture for so long. They hammered the sticks with a Nerf baseball bat and croquet stick. They gathered yellow dandelions. They worked for close to an hour. Priceless. #MyMommyMoments for sure.

I realized later that the idea of the fairy house came from a book my little Kindergartner and I had picked up at the book fair. Pinkalicious Fairy House. Thankfully she forgot the part where they spent the night outside waiting for the fairies. Reading really does spark the imagination. What a reward it was to realize that the pages of a book came to life this weekend in Grandma's backyard for a little girl and her brother.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Have you ever "met" someone yet not really "met" them and feel like you know them? In this great world we call the blogosphere I have a friend that I know just like that. I met my friend Heather last summer when she submitted a guest post for The RHOK where I write as ♥Mrs. Hart♥. I didn't know then that I was in the presence of such a fantastic writer. A writer who really knows how to put a pen and paper to all life's experiences and isn't afraid to share. Someone that I can learn from. I have since learned that we know mutual people and places. Small world. But, that is what I love about the great state we live in. Oklahoma.

Heather released her book TMI MOM: Oversharing My Life on April 1st. Funny, huh? April Fools Day. Totally fits her personality.

Oversharing My Life is a collection of humorous essays about parenting, marriage and life in general. It’s the first in a series of four books which, Heather Davis overshares and gives her readers way too much information about her life. Information that her mother is probably even shaking her head over.

Would you ever share openly about things you have done on the toilet? Admit that you are obsessed with the stocking of toilet paper? Share that your husband brought you home a copy of Playboy? Tell everyone that you pee in the shower to save time? Oh, these are only a few of the overshared examples in the book. If you want the full story and even juicier stories than these you will have to get your own copy at Amazon or maybe just follow Heather at the sites below and catch her at a book signing.

Makes a blogger/writer almost wonder if she shares enough or too much. Hmmm....

Here is the review that I wrote on Amazon and Goodreads:

"WARNING!!! If you read in your marital bed and plan to stay in that marital bed, do NOT read this book in that bed. I laughed/giggled so hard page after page that it interrupted my sleeping husband. He told me that his pillow was not for wiping tears of laughter and if I wanted to giggle to go to another room. The laughter wasn't just at the author, but with the author. Stories and adventures that all of mothers and wives can relate too. Excellent read!!!"

About the Author:

Heather Davis has a finely-tuned snarky side which she uses on a daily basis to save her sanity. She is married to a very patient husband, and together they have two very entertaining daughters. Oversharing My Life, a collection of humorous essays, is her debut book. She and her family live in Bartlesville, OK, where she chronicles her life at Minivan-Momma.com.

This was the song my six year old daughter was singing yesterday morning as I was braiding her hair for Easter Sunday. Little did we know then that later that evening it would indeed be her Happy Day. Resurrection Day became her Salvation Day as she asked Jesus into her heart around 9PM.

I was finishing watching The Bible series and her Daddy was trying to get her to sleep. She started asking him salvation questions similar to the ones she had asked earlier in the weekend to myself. I knew she was "getting" it when I heard her explaining the way to her American Girl doll. There was absolutely no avoiding her and the opportunity on Easter night. We talked about John 3:16 and Romans 3:23 and said the sinners prayer together. She was absolutely adamant that she was going to go live with Jesus forever and not down "there".

I'll be honest, I have been a Christian for 29 years this summer and this was my first time for an opportunity like this. It is a feeling like no other. For my first time to be my own flesh and blood, WOW!!! Thank you Jesus!!!! I'm excited now for my next opportunity.

For my little Miss, Baptism will be next in her journey. And of course I will share/document that experience as well.

Only 40 more school days!!! Know what that means? Swimsuit time. The older I get and the older my children get the more I dread swimsuit season. Why? Because as I near 40, I have realized I DO NOT and WILL NOT have the body I had at 19 or even 30! Plus, having a 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter means I am still required to be present when they swim. I also feel that I must be more modest around my son and his friends. I mean really, I don't want to be showing off this fabulous almost forty Mommy body to them, right?

When it comes to swimwear, I love Hapari. Hapari is excited to announce the arrival of its new 2013 swimwear line. They have new designs and prints will make many women very happy. All of their swimsuits are so cute, but I especially love their tankinis.

They look great on and are so comfortable. I ordered my suit during Spring Break and got this top and bottom and added a straight turquoise skirt.

I also love that they cater to all body types and even have a mastectomy line. Most of the suits can even be worn three different ways: halter, criss cross, or as a tank. Very cool. There is even a Men's Swimwear line. Hapari definitely knows swimwear. Especially modest swimwear.

I am excited to be able to be able to partner up with Hapari and give one of my readers a $95 gift certificate to Hapari so they can look fabulous this summer in a new suit! Who wants it? All you have to do is fulfill the MANDATORY requirement below and fill out the easy Rafflecopter form. Bonus entries are available!!!

Good Luck!!

MANDATORY 1st ENTRY- Link to one of the following Hapari pages (below) via your personal blog, Twitter, or Facebook. Tell Hapari on this blog post the URL where the post with the link to Hapari can be found.